Good Question

On Tuesday morning, Jeb Bush announced on Facebook that he would “actively explore the possibility of running for President.” With 692 days until the 2016 race, he’s the first potential candidate to officially say he or she is thinking about running, even though there has been speculation about several others over the past year. So, why do candidates announce so early?

We love our Minnesota winters, but we all know they come with a few side effects, like very dry skin. When the temperatures drop, so does the amount of water in the air, which can lead to flaky, itchy spots all over our bodies. So, what is the best way to combat dry skin?

A new study from CreditCards.com found almost 1 in 5 people think they’ll never get out of the debt. That’s twice as many people who gave that same response last year. So, what happens to our debt when we die?

In March, Delta Airlines will start offering five different levels of pricing, ranging from a bare-bones “basic economy” all the way to an elite first-class “Delta One” ticket. It’s a far cry from the 1960s, when airlines used to print their prices weeks in advance. So, how has airline travel changed?

It’s the time of year when the sick list can get long. The common cold, the flu and strep throat can leave businesses a bit understaffed. So over the course of the year, how much sick time do we take? The average American worker is given about eight to 10 days of sick leave a year, but most people only take between 3 and 6.

Wild fans hoping to see Ryan Suter in action Wednesday night got some disappointing news. Suter had played 153 consecutive games with the Wild, but was held out Wednesday because of “mump-like” symptoms.

BabyCenter.com announced Tuesday the most popular baby names of 2014. The most popular girls’ name was Sophia for the fifth year in a row. Jackson topped the boys’ list for the second year in a row. Behind every name there’s a story. For 2-month-old Davis, it’s pretty straightforward.

Dick from Stillwater asked: When was the last time the Gophers had possession of the Pig, Jug and Axe? Earlier this season, Minnesota beat Michigan to take the Little Brown Jug and Iowa for Floyd of Rosedale. If the Gophers beat the Badgers on Saturday, they will also be in possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The last time that happened was 1967.

You might as well get out the sweatpants right now, because we all know we’re throwing moderation out the door for Thanksgiving. The average person consumes about 4,000 calories on Thanksgiving, or twice what we eat on a daily basis.

This Thanksgiving holiday, Mother Nature apparently didn’t consult the calendar. Wednesday will be one of the busiest travel days of the year. That makes for particularly bad timing because a Nor’easter capable of dropping many as 13 inches along the East Coast is set to hit Wednesday morning.

This holiday season, retailers are expected to send us nearly 13 billion catalogs. According to the American Catalog Mailers Association, that’s down from the peak in 2007 — 20 billion — but it’s still 41 catalogs for every man, woman and child in the U.S. every year.

Earlier this week, cities and counties began sending out 2015 proposed property tax notices, including the estimated market value of your home. In Ramsey County, the assessments increased by an average of 10.4 percent. In Hennepin County, there was an average increase of 8.4 percent and in Anoka County, the average jump was 18.7 percent. So, how do cities and counties figure out how much our homes are worth?

Earlier Tuesday evening, the U.S. Senate failed to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline by a vote of 59 – 41. Immediately after the vote, Republicans said they’d bring up the issue again in January. The fight over this pipeline has been a long, contentious battle that began in 2008 when TransCanada, the company building the pipeline, applied for a construction permit.

A new report out by the Project for Student Debt finds 70 percent of Minnesota college students graduate with some sort of student debt. On average, they owe $30,894, which puts Minnesota as the 5th highest in the country for student debt.

On Thursday, charities across the state will be asking for donations during Minnesota’s sixth annual Give to the Max Day. Last year, more than 52,000 people gave $17 million in 24 hours, which is part of the $4 billion dollars Minnesotans give away every year.